(Newser)
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Republican strategists who had spoken of a smooth nomination process just a few months ago are now braced for a battle royal at the Quicken Loans Arena. Insiders tell the Washington Post that GOP bigwigs gathered Monday and discussed the possibility of a brokered convention in Cleveland in July. The party hasn't entered a convention without a clear nominee since 1976, when Gerald Ford narrowly defeated conservative insurgent Ronald Reagan on the first ballot. The Post's sources say the GOP leaders discussed strategies in case there is no clear nominee this time around and no winner on the first ballot, allowing delegates to shift allegiances in what Reuters reports would be the first brokered GOP convention since Thomas Dewey was nominated in 1948.

A source tells the Post that some GOP strategists argued for a strategy to make sure there was a clear alternative to Donald Trump in the event of a brokered convention, though another official present at the meeting tells Reuters that Trump wasn't the focus of the discussion. "It was more logistical in nature, not strategic," he says. "It was more like 'are you planning for a hurricane?'" A former Mitt Romney adviser agrees that with the field still crowded, talk of a brokered convention goes beyond Trump. "What you're seeing is the party bracing for a potential Hunger Games scenario where you have a different person win each of the first four primaries and they all have the resources to slug it out until the convention," he tells the Post.

This is just more of the RNC trying desperately to push one of their establishment candidates to the front of the pack because they are scared of the greatest leader to come forward in this century, Donald Trump.

Laurice Tatum

Dec 11, 2015 2:58 PM CST

This coming from a 20 year veteran Republican who has served on the Executive Committeeman at the County level. I take no pleasure in uttering the following. You've had your CHANCE AND YOU CONTINUALLY FAIL AND FAIL MISERABLY TO REPRESENT THE RANK AND FILE WHO PUT YOU IN OFFICE. IT'S TIME EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU RESIGNING. Republicans discussed possibility of a brokered convention. What the hell does that mean? As I read it mean they intend to carry on with business as usual. They do not intend to change reflecting the principle of a democratic republic. Wow it's obvious that the Republican party brass don't care about the will of the people. They continue their sick, disgusting attempt to screw over the American people. Mark my words and remember I wrote this - if they in anyway interfere and continue their manipulation of outcomes, they will certainly spell their own demise. Wise up Republican Establishment and stop selling out the American voters. Wise up and represent the will of the people and not special interest. Stop with the Carl Roves all round bad guy mentality of making of kings, facilitation of dynasties and monarchies. IF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WANTED KINGS AND QUEENS THEY CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT IN THE CONSTITUTION.

Veritas

Dec 11, 2015 1:37 PM CST

The Republican convention will be entertaining kind of like nature how some animals eat their young. The Democratic convention will be the same boring platitudes with a Hillary Clinton coronation, zzzzzzzz